Drier roll



F 1933- T. L. BRANNEN I 7 9 6 DRIER ROLL' Filed Sept. 6, 1930 A Patented Feb. 28, 1 933 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS L. BRANNEN, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR TO BROWN COMPANY, OF BERLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE DRIER ROLL application filed September 6, 1920. Serial No. 480,038.

peripheral blocksto prevent loss of heat therefrom.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the description thereof which drawing, of which,-

Figure v1 is a sectional view of a roll embodying the invention "taken on theline 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the roll shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the peripheral blocks of the roll. ,Figure 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1. I

Referring to the drawing in detail, the roll may comprise a central shaft 10 from which extend a pair of spiders composed of outwardly branching spokes 11. One or more additional spiders may be employed for rolls of greater axial lengths than that illustrated on the drawing. Each s 12, these rings being pre erably made of angle iron. These rings support a series of curved blocks 14 which are placed edge to edge and form the cylindrical shell of the roll. Each block is cast about a number of short lengths 141 ofRpipe which are held parallel to one another "in a suitable jig for the purpose. After the casting has cooled, thepipe sections may be serially connected by .U-bends secured to the projecting pipe ends by union couplings 151. Each block 14 is thus provided with a steam which it may be efliciently heated. To malntain good contact between the blocks and the pipes cast therein, the metals used for these 50 parts are preferably selected with approxifollows and to the tween the block 14 ider supports a ring coil embedded therein by mately equal coeflicients of thermal expansion.

When the roll is in use, a sheet to be dried is brought into contact with its periphery, that is, the outer surface of the blocks 14. To minimize loss of heat from the inner surface of these blocks-I may provide a layer of suitable thermal insulating material 13, such as blocks of an asbestos compound. This lagging may be held in place by a number of split rings 121, the ends of which maybe pressed apart as by springs 122 to press the rings against the lagging. The rings 121 may also be assisted by cross bars 19.

Each block may be formed with a tongue 16 and a groove 17 which are of sufficient length and depth to remain in adjacent grooves and tongues respectively when the blocks 14 are cold. These tongues and grooves ali' ne accurately the abutting edge faces of the blocks 14 so as to present a smooth, continuous surface on the outside of the roll. In order to hold the blocks 14 in place, each block may have the heads of a suitable number of bolts 18 cast therein. These bolts 75 each extend inwardly through one of the rings 12 and carry compression springs 20 between the inner surface of the ring 12 and a suitable nut 21 on the inner end of the bolt. The bolts each carry also a spring 22 beand the ring 12. When the blocks are heated, the cylinder they form expands outwardly, compressingthe springs 20 which thereupon maintain the blocks uni- ,formly spaced from the rings 12. When the blocks are cooled, the springs 22 engage the rings 12 and the shaft and an outlet. at the other end through the hearings in which the shaft rotates. From the, ore 25 a'number of pipes 27 'may extend radially, each of these pipes having a stretch 28 extending substantially 5 parallel to the axis of the shaft. From the stretch 28 the pipes may branch as at 29 t0 the several coils 15. A similar system of piping extends from the bore 26 tothe opposite I ends of the several coils 15, so that steam or other heating fluid entering through the bore 25 or 26 may thus pass through each of the coils and be discharged through the opposite bore. The stretch 28 lends flexibility to each of the pipes 27 for the purpose of compensating for radial expansion of the steam pipes when heated. t

The roll may be mounted for use in suitable bearings 30'supported on a frame 31. The roll is particularly adapted for the dryin of sheets having a relatively low mecham'ca strength, the large circumference of the roll permitting the sheet to be in engagement therewith for a considerable interval of time without necessitating excessively slow speed of sheet travel. To this end the sheet 35 may be guided to and from the vroll in such a F manner that substantially all of the circumference of the roll is engaged thereby. For this purpose a suitable guide roll 36 may be mounted to take the sheet from the roll at a point closely adjacent to the point of initial contact of the sheet with the roll.

I claim:

1. drying roll comprising a plurality of blocks held edge to edge in the form of a hollow cylinder, a rotatable supporting frame within said 0 linder, means resiliently connecting said bloc s with saidframe, means for heating said blocks, and a cylindrical layer of heat insulating material against the inner surface of said cylinder. 4 2. drying roll comprising aplura-lity of blocks held in the form of a hollow cylinder, said blocks having tongued and grooved abutting edges, a supporting frame within said cylinder, said franie including a shaft, a

- plurality of rings concentricwith said shaft and spokes connecting said rings to said shaft, andfmeans for resilientl connecting said blocks with said frame, sai means comprising bolts extending inwardly from each said block through sald rings, a nut on the inner end of each said bolt, and a pair of compression springs on each said bolt, one of said- 5 springs being between the adjacent block and ring, the other said spring being between the adjacent ring and nut.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my a signature, THOMAS L. BRANNEN. 

